Saudi Arabia’s futuristic reimagining continues to take shape with the official opening of NEOM’s island destination Sindalah in the Red Sea.
The culmination of a two-year construction effort involving a 30,000 strong workforce at its peak, the resort is located off the north-western coastline where NEOM is bringing its 26,500 square kilometre vision to life. Its launch marks a major milestone for the project which was first unveiled in 2017 by the country’s now defacto ruler Mohammad bin Salman.
“NEOM is committed to supporting the Kingdom’s new era of luxury tourism, with the opening of Sindalah,” Nadhmi Al-Nasr, CEO of NEOM said.
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“This is a proud chapter in the NEOM story and we are excited to achieve more of our ambitious goals, with the continued support of His Royal Highness. NEOM’s inaugural destination offers visitors a ‘first glimpse’ of what the future holds for our extensive portfolio of destinations and developments.”
Sindalah is spread across 840,000 square meters and offers restaurants, hotels, venues, shopping and experiences. Visitors can choose from a variety of accommodation options including 440 rooms and 88 villas, as well as 218 luxury serviced apartments.
The island is expected to welcome up to 2,400 guests per day by 2028.
The marine ecosystem at Sindalah is expected to be a major part of its appeal, with its waters home to 1,100 species of fish – 45 of which are unique to NEOM waters. There are also more than 300 coral species.
Diving will therefore be one of the many activities on offer to guests, as will sailing. Sindalah has been set up to become a yachting hub thanks to its location 17 hours by sea from key Mediterranean destinations.
Indeed the island has been designed by leading yachting architecture firm Luca Dini and is home to a state-of-the-art, 86-berth marina and the Sindalah Yacht Club, with interiors by Stefano Ricci.
There is also a beach club and a beachfront 5,920-metre par 70 golf course.
The island is expected to generate around 3,500 jobs, helping to drive the ongoing development of Saudi Arabia’s hospitality and tourism industries, thereby supporting the Saudi Vision 2030 plan to diversify the economy.
